[Added 11-22-2022 by Ord.
No. 2022-29]
a. Pursuant to P.L. 2021, c. 99, codified at N.J.S.A. 40:48K-1 et seq.,
the Legislature authorized municipalities to establish property tax
reward programs.
b. Under a property tax reward program, local businesses commit to paying
a percentage of sales, less any operating costs to the program operator,
to be credited to residents in the form of property tax relief. Such
programs are intended to serve as an effective incentive to shop locally.
c. This article authorizes the Township to establish a property tax
rewards program in accordance with the above statutory authorization.
[Added 11-22-2022 by Ord.
No. 2022-29]
a. The Township Committee is hereby authorized to establish a property
tax reward program, consistent with its statutory authorization under
state law.
b. Prior to the enactment of any property tax reward program, the Township
Committee shall adopt a resolution authorizing the program and authorizing
a contract with a private entity to serve as operator and administer
the property tax reward program to property owners in the municipality,
in accordance with applicable law.
c. The Township shall not be liable in any manner for any action taken
by, or omission of an action that should have been taken by, the operator
authorized by the governing body to administer the property tax reward
program. Any financial irregularity committed by the operator in the
administration of the program shall be the sole responsibility of
the operator.
[Added 11-22-2022 by Ord.
No. 2022-29]
a. A property tax reward program implemented by the Township shall allow
participating customers to utilize the property tax reward program
at no cost to themselves. A property tax reward program shall, at
a minimum, provide to participating customers the ability to register
for a reward card online, view a record of the customer's past
transactions that earned program rewards, and view the total amount
of rewards earned. For a transaction to be eligible for a reward under
the program, a participating customer shall use or display a reward
card when making a purchase of goods or services from a participating
business.
b. To participate in the property tax reward program, a business owner shall commit to pay the operator a percentage of a gross sale that qualifies as a transaction under the program, including any taxes or other associated tips or fees as charged to a participating customer, to serve as the reward, plus any separate administrative fee due to the operator. The amount of the annual reward earned by a participating customer and credited pursuant to Subsection
d of this section shall equal the total amount of all rewards earned by that participating customer during the reward earning period.
c. With the authorization of the Township Committee, an operator may
also enroll as a participating customer in the property tax reward
program a person who is not a property owner in the municipality.
The rewards earned by a participating customer described in this subsection
shall be paid by the operator directly to that participating customer
as soon as is practicable after the end of the rewards period.
d. Not later than June 1 annually, or a date agreed to by the Township
Committee and the operator, the operator shall provide to the Municipal
Tax Collector a list of participating customers who are property owners
in the municipality, with the total amount of rewards earned by each
property owner during the reward period, and shall transfer the corresponding
amounts earned by those participating customers to the tax collector,
to be credited against each participating customer's property
tax bill. A participating customer who is not a property owner in
the municipality shall receive rewards in a form agreed to by the
Township Committee and the operator.
e. During any period in which the property tax reward program is authorized
and operational, there shall be included on or with the tax bill the
amount of the property tax reward as a credit against property taxes
due and payable by a property owner who participates in the program.
The property tax reward program shall be identified on the tax bill
as the source of the property tax credit.
f. During any period in which the property tax reward program is authorized,
the Township shall report any irregularity, financial or otherwise,
that it believes has occurred in the operator's administration
of the program, to the Director of the Division of Local Government
Services in the Department of Community Affairs, and to any other
department or agency of state, county, or local government, as the
Township Committee deems appropriate.